Non-invasive brain stimulations mainly consist of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation exhib-its satisfactory outcomes in improving multiple sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injury and cerebral palsy-induced spasticity. By contrast, transcranial direct current stimulation has only been studied in post-stroke spasticity. To better validate the effcacy of non-invasive brain stimulations in im-proving the spasticity post-stroke, more prospective cohort studies involving large sample sizes are needed.

Virtual reality is a new technology that simulates a three-dimensional virtual world on a com-puter and enables the generation of visual, audio, and haptic feedback for the full immersion of users. Users can interact with and observe objects in three-dimensional visual space without limitation. At present, virtual reality training has been widely used in rehabilitation therapy for balance dysfunction. This paper summarizes related articles and other articles suggesting that virtual reality training can improve balance dysfunction in patients after neurological diseases. When patients perform virtual reality training, the prefrontal, parietal cortical areas and other motor cortical networks are activated. These activations may be involved in the reconstruction of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Growing evidence from clinical studies reveals that virtual reality training improves the neurological function of patients with spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and other neurological impairments. These ifndings suggest that virtual reality training can acti-vate the cerebral cortex and improve the spatial orientation capacity of patients, thus facilitating the cortex to control balance and increase motion function.

Because there is no curative treatment for spinal cord injury, establishing an ideal animal model is important to identify injury mechanisms and develop therapies for individuals suffering from spinal cord injuries. In this article, we systematically review and analyze various kinds of animal models of spinal cord injury and assess their advantages and disadvantages for further studies.

Besides local neuronal damage caused by the primary insult, central nervous system injuries may secondarily cause a progressive cascade of related events including brain edema, ischemia, oxida-tive stress, excitotoxicity, and dysregulation of calcium homeostasis. Hypothermia is a beneficial strategy in a variety of acute central nervous system injuries. Mild hypothermia can treat high intra-cranial pressure fol owing traumatic brain injuries in adults. It is a new treatment that increases sur-vival and quality of life for patients suffering from ischemic insults such as cardiac arrest, stroke, and neurogenic fever fol owing brain trauma. Therapeutic hypothermia decreases free radical produc-tion, inflammation, excitotoxicity and intracranial pressure, and improves cerebral metabolism after traumatic brain injury and cerebral ischemia, thus protecting against central nervous system dam-age. Although a series of pathological and physiological changes as wel as potential side effects are observed during hypothermia treatment, it remains a potential therapeutic strategy for central nervous system injuries and deserves further study.

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation has become a standard neurosurgical therapy for ad-vanced Parkinson’s disease. Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation can dramatical y improve the motor symptoms of careful y selected patients with this disease. Surprisingly, some specific dimensions of quality of life,“psychological”aspects and social adjustment do not always improve, and they could sometimes be even worse. Patients and their families should ful y understand that subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation can alter the motor status and time is needed to readapt to their new postoperative state and lifestyles. This paper reviews the literatures regarding effects of bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on social adjustment, quality of life and coping strategies in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The findings may help to understand the psychoso-cial maladjustment and poor improvement in quality of life in some Parkinson’s disease patients.

There is an increasing interest and popularity of Chinese herbal medicine worldwide, which is accompanied by increasing concerns about its effectiveness and potential toxicity. Several ingredients, such as polyphenolic compounds berberine, flavonoids, and curcumin, have been studied extensively by using various animal models. Effectiveness of treatment and amelioration of metabolic syndromes, including insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, has been demonstrated. This review summarizes the major checkpoints and contributing factors in regulation of exogenous and endogenous lipid metabolism, with particular emphasis centered on triglyceride-rich and cholesterol-rich lipoproteins. Available experimental evidence demonstrating the lipid-lowering effect of berberine, lfavonoids and curcumin in cell culture and animal models is compiled, and the strengths and shortcomings of experimental designs in these studies are discussed.

For thousands of years, moxibustion has been used for various diseases in China and other Asian countries. Despite the recent surge in Chinese herbal studies, few randomized controlled trials have been conducted on this modality, possibly due to the lacking of suitable double blinding methodology. This is a review of extant sham moxa devices and an introduction to a recently developed device that needs further validation.

Liver fibrosis is a primary cause of liver cirrhosis, and even hepatocarcinoma. Recently, the usage of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been investigated to improve liver ifbrosis. It has been reported that the differentiation, proliferation and migration of MSCs can be regulated by traditional Chinese medicine treatment;however, the mechanisms are still unclear. In this article, the authors review the characteristics of MSCs such as multidirectional differentiation and homing, and its application in animal experiments and clinical trials. The authors also list areas that need further investigation, and look at the future prospects of clinical application of MSCs.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is commonly used in treating liver diseases worldwide, especially in China. The advantages of using TCM for treatment of liver diseases include: protecting hepatocytes, inhibiting hepatic inlfammation and antiifbrosis in the liver. In this article, we introduce TCM herbal preparations from the Chinese materia medica (such as Fuzheng Huayu) that are typically used for the treatment of liver diseases. Literature surrounding the mechanisms of TCM therapy for treatment of liver diseases is presented and discussed. We propose that side effects of herbal compounds are often under-appreciated, and that more care should be taken in the prescription of potentially hepatotoxic medicines. Further, to deepen the understanding of TCM mechanisms, new techniques and methodologies must be developed. Future studies will lead to the enhancement of clinical outcomes of TCM. As complementary and alternative therapies, TCMs will play an expanding role in the future of liver disease treatment.